This invention relates to devices for parking and immobilizing bicycles, and more particularly to a device which holds the front wheel of a bicycle in fixed rotational position relative to the bicycle frame and for keeping the front wheel from turning, and yet can be easily released automatically if the bicycle is moved forwardly.
Numerous devices have been proposed and used for holding bicycles upright or immobilized, such as conventional kickstands and locking mechanisms for locking the front wheel in place. Most of the devices for locking the front wheel in place require manual release and engagement by a bicyclist. One such device, however, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,850, is an automatic release bicycle holder which holds the front wheel in place, and will automatically release if the bicycle is moved forwardly. The device shown in that patent comprises a C-shaped clamp member which is adapted to be clamped around the down tube of a bicycle. The bottom portion of the clamp is a rectangular block, the bottom front corners of which are cut out. The sidewalls of the cutout are provided with aligned openings. A heavy wire spring frame is provided with spaced-apart parallel arms having inturned ends received by the aligned openings in the block to allow pivotal movement of the wire frame. Beneath each pivot opening, the block has a rib that holds the wire frame away from the front wheel. When the wire frame is released from the ribs and brought into firm engagement with the front wheel of the bicycle, it prevents the wheel from rotating or pivotal movement, and prevents the bicycle from rolling, so that it can be easily leaned up against a wall or post without falling over. When the bicycle wheel is moved forwardly, the wire frame member is urged by the rotation of the wheel away from the wheel, so that no manual release of the wire frame is required by the bicycle rider. A second embodiment shown in this patent has a rectangular block of metal that is welded to the bicycle down tube instead of being affixed by a clamp.
Each of the two embodiments in this patent has a number of disadvantages. In the embodiment where the block is welded to the down tube, the welding of such a block should be done during manufacture and before painting of the bicycle, and requires finishing of the weld joint to create an acceptable appearance. Further, the weakening of the down tube caused by the welding might affect the integrity of the tube. The appearance alone of the block is unacceptable to many bicycle riders.
In the second embodiment, in which the clamp is fitted around the down tube, the clamp may mar the paint on the down tube, or slide on the down tube if it is not adequately tightened. Moreover, these clamps do not work on some bicycles having other than conventionally-sized down tubes, especially aluminum bicycles with large diameter tubes, unless clamps are sold in a variety of sizes, which would require bicycle dealers to stock many differently sized clamps. Further, such a clamp may interfere with the mounting additional accessories such as water bottle holders, pumps, and shift lever clamps. The presence of a clamp on a down tube is unacceptable to many experienced bicycle riders who prefer their accessories to be simple in design and unobtrusive in appearance.
If would be advantageous to provide a bicycle parking stand which would easily fit to almost any bicycle regardless of the size of the down tube, and which is also light-weight and easy to install. It would also be advantageous if such a parking stand does not have any part which contacts the down tube, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the bicycle paint, and to be simple in design and appearance to appeal to bike afficionados who like their accessories to be unobtrusive.